Journey to Sea
by UniverseDreams
Summary: Titanic waits with Andrews in one of the first-class parlor rooms, full of anticipation to begin her maiden voyage. They experience it every step of the way together and in the process, discover a deeper connection. Part of a series. One-shot.


**Author's Note: **This is my submission for day 14 of Titanic Centennial Anniversary Month. This story is part of a series of 20-30 one-shots that follows Titanic and Andrews over the course of her journey. For _Titanic_'s centennial anniversary, I had so many projects going that I didn't have time to write out all of them, so I chose two of them to be 'showcase pieces' so to speak, one that takes place at the beginning of her voyage, and one at the end. This is the first one of the two. And not to worry; even though there are around 7 or 8 individual one-shots that come before this one in the series, they don't need to be read in any particular order.

This story takes place on April 11, 1912, the day when _Titanic _set sail into open sea. It was written while listening to mainly the first half of the Titanic soundtrack, and took a rather long time, especially fine-tuning the descriptive passages and dialogue to give them more of a feeling and flavor of the 1900s time period. 1900s flavor with a modern touch, I guess, would be the best way to describe the style these one-shots are written in, kinda the same as the movie.

_*This series utilizes my original 'Vessel Personas' concept and its rules, where ships and other vessels are capable of having living souls that they can project into human personas. Titanic, as well as her two sister ships, Olympic and Britannic, all have souls. For a brief introduction to my Vessel Personas concept, as well as my human-Titanic's design, profile, and specifications, refer here: http :/ amethyst jewel . deviant art . com /art /VP-Lady-Titanic-293654003 . Just remove the spaces._

Hope you enjoy. Please R&R!

**Disclaimers: **Titanic belongs to Thomas Andrews. Andrews owns himself. James Cameron owns the movie. The Vessel Personas concept, this representation and design of human-Titanic, and this story and its series are mine. :)

* * *

Sunlight poured into one of the first-class parlor rooms of _Titanic_ where naval architect Thomas Andrews sat writing in his notebook. As chief designer of the ship, he had been chosen as one of the representatives by his shipbuilding company, Harland and Wolff, to record the ship's performance on her maiden voyage, and also to inspect the interior and locate and write down any problems that existed for later review. So far, over the course of the two days _Titanic _had been sailing, he had done just that, taking note of railings and handles that needed to be repainted, things that had failed or were broken, features that could be added or improved upon, and so on and so on. There was certainly a lot to inspect on a ship as big as she was. Andrews crossed out a note he had written earlier and wrote the correction next to it. He had finished inspecting most of the upper decks earlier that morning and planned to start on the lower decks after the afternoon luncheon he was scheduled to attend. And in addition to the routine inspections that he needed to complete, some complaints from the crew about the order in the cargo hold had come to his attention, and he wanted to see if he could sort out the issue and find a more efficient arrangement.

Momentarily at a loss for a calculation he needed, Thomas gazed up to the room, his attention shifting to the woman pacing before him. The heels of her shoes _clacked_ against the hardwood floor, her long strides carrying her back and forth across the length of the room. At the briefest glance, her appearance seemed to be that of an ordinary first-class lady, but upon looking closer, it could be determined that she was anything but ordinary. Though many may have not yet begun to know it, in actuality, she was _Titanic_'s persona, a physical embodiment of the ship's soul. With hair of darkest brown that could nearly be considered black, a complexion fair and glowing, and eyes of deepest sapphire blue, as deep as the ocean on which she sailed, Titanic was as much of a beauty as a human as she was as a ship. She stood nearly as tall as a man and always carried herself with a certain gracefulness, even now in her state of agitation. The elaborate dress she wore was modeled after the ship, in her colors and details from head to toe. Her inner characteristics were every part as splendid as her outward appearance; she was intelligent, polite, kind, and honorable. She upheld a polished decorum and demeanor, but there was also a free spirit within her that lay just beneath the surface. Throughout all of the press and frenzy about her magnificence, capacity, and luxuries, she remained graciously modest and never once boasted about herself. She was dedicated to her responsibilities and her ship in every respect. Simply the fact that his _Titanic_ possessed a living soul was a miracle in and of itself, and everything that she was as an individual made her all the more incredible. She was truly extraordinary.

A smile came to Andrews' lips. When he remembered back to the time when she existed merely as an idea and then compared that to the present, he felt a surge of pride. Not only considering neither his own work, nor the hard work of the every builder who helped to construct her and make his vision a reality, but how _Titanic_ herself had evolved and taken off soaring with a life of her own. And now, after all the years of preparation, the sleepless nights of work and planning, and the labor and effort it took to get her to this moment, the time had come for her to begin her maiden voyage and sail into open waters. They had acquired the rest of their passengers and cargo from their final stop in Queenstown that morning, and though Titanic had briefly been down there seeing them aboard, she quickly retreated up to one of the parlor rooms just off of the main promenade deck. He knew that she desired his company when she began her journey, and so he had followed her to the room, sitting down at one of the tables to continue to work on his notes while she alternated between sitting, standing, and pacing the room. They had been there for almost an hour, waiting for her departure, and from Titanic's behavior that entire morning, he could tell that she was decidedly nervous.

Andrews shook his head, chuckling as she passed by him again, for what seemed the umpteenth time. "Calm down, Titanic, before you wear a hole in the floor from your pacing."

Titanic sighed and halted her strides in front of him, lifting her hand to her head. "I'm sorry, I cannot help it," she replied, her words laced with a slight Northern-Irish accent, similar to his own. "We're about to go to sea any minute and I am full of anticipation." She turned to him. "Do you have the time?"

Andrews set his notebook down on the table and kept the page with one hand while he pulled out his pocket watch from his waistcoat with the other. He flipped open the top and looked at the watch's face. "Five 'til one."

Titanic turned to look out the parlor room's open doors, to the promenade deck outside. "Then it can't be long now..." Her voice trailed off and she resumed her strides, seeming to almost glide out of the room and onto the deck.

Thomas stared after her for a moment and then he closed his book, stood up, and followed her out. It was a cool and crisp afternoon, the sky a pale-to-medium blue with a scattered cloud cover. He glanced around the deck – there were only a few scattered passengers and crew around, so they had the section mostly to themselves – and then made his way to the railing, coming to stand beside Titanic, to her right. "I know you must be a little apprehensive as this is your first voyage," he said. "And I know that sometimes waiting can seem to go on forever, but rest assured, Titanic, you will do fine. Everything is in place and everything is ready. You're in good hands; the crew will not let you down."

"I know, I have no uncertainties about that. It's just..." Titanic breathed a sigh. "It's a little unnerving. Everything I've experienced up until now – my construction, my loading, my trials – was all preparation. And now, the time has come for my first real voyage. This is a momentous milestone." She rested her arms on the rail, letting her hands hang over the side of the ship, and gazed out to the horizon where the sun's overhead rays made the water glimmer, dance, and shine. "I am also greatly anticipating the full acceleration of my engines. When they are running at full power, the feeling of it is simply...amazing."

"I'm sure it is," Andrews replied. "Well, it should be any moment now. Are you sure you that this is where you want to be for this occasion? I am not saying that this isn't nice," he gestured out to the vista before them, "but I would have thought you would have chosen somewhere with a grander view. The bridge deck or your bow, perhaps?"

"I thought about it," she answered, "but in the end, I decided on this spot right here. Once I am underway, I will feel what it's like on my topmost deck and my bow. When I go to sea, I would rather be somewhere less crowded." Titanic smiled at him. "I don't want to experience this with anyone else except you."

Andrews smiled back. "Well, that is perfectly fine with me. I am honored that you desire my company," he said, giving a small bow.

Titanic chuckled at his action, but then suddenly, her laughter subsided. Her hand reached to grasp the railing, and her gaze turned down, eyes becoming glassy.

Andrews tilted his head, concerned. "Titanic?"

"It's starting," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Not three seconds after she spoke, the rumbling of her full engines commenced, the vibrations starting throughout the ship. He glanced around the deck, and then back to Titanic's form in front of him. She stood completely still with her eyes closed and her head down, both hands tightly grasping the railing. "I feel it, Thomas," she spoke suddenly. "Boilers lit, steam power rising, engines to full..."

She was traveling much faster now, her powerful body cutting through the water. Titanic stood, feeling her internal systems, lips slowly forming into a joyous smile. 19 knots...20...21... At the very moment her engines reached full, she gasped and opened her eyes, breaking into a wide grin as she felt the rate of her engines, now running consistently with her new cruising speed. "It's... Oh, it's wondrous, Thomas!" She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, and opened her arms wide to the wind, feeling the breeze. "It's the encompassment of my purpose. I'm at my full capacity, my full strength. I truly feel like I can do anything...!"

Titanic trailed off, lapsing into silence, and Thomas smiled at her pure elation and bliss. He said nothing and simply watched her, letting her feel the glorious moment. He leaned against the railing, holding his notebook in front of him with both hands. A huge milestone indeed. He stood, immersed in the atmosphere of the ship. After everything, she was now successfully underway on her very first voyage, journeying out to sea. She had exceeded his every expectation, everything he ever dreamed possible. He was so proud of her.

After a few minutes, Titanic opened her eyes and lowered her arms back down to the railing, her hands lightly resting on the surface. She let out her breath in a deep, contented sigh. "This is wonderful beyond words, it's the best feeling in the world," she said serenely. She placed her hand against her chest. "It will be with me forever, and will never fade, never die."

"I agree, it is marvelous. _You_ are marvelous, Titanic, and I am so proud of you," Andrews said, voicing his inner thoughts to her. "You are the very finest, a wonder to behold. It's a shame I cannot experience the power of your engines with the same capacity with which you are able."

Titanic glanced to her architect. She searched his eyes for a moment, thinking, and then turned to face him. "Maybe you can."

Andrews' brow furrowed in confusion. "How could that be possible? I am not you, Titanic."

"Well, you may not be able to feel my engines exactly the way that I can, but I'm pretty certain I have the ability to let you feel them through me. Considering that you're my architect and have the most intimate knowledge of me of anyone, you should have no difficulty harmonizing with me." She stepped directly up to him. "Place your hand on my chest."

A faint blush rose to Andrews' cheeks. "W-what?"

Titanic shook her head, smiling. "Here." She took hold of his free hand and brought it up to her chest, guiding it to rest just below her collarbone. "Relax, Thomas," she said. She placed her hands over his and closed her eyes. "Try to feel what I'm feeling. Don't only feel my engines through my physical body; feel them through me."

Thomas stared at Titanic for a moment and then, though still a little uncertain, he closed his eyes and did as she instructed. He cleared his mind and tried to tune out everything else, only focusing on her and the point where they were connected. He could hear the noise from the ship and from her funnels, and could feel the vibrations of her fully-powered engines through the floorboards of the deck, her powerful body cutting through the water. All the sounds of her operations that translated to her life. And then suddenly... he _felt_ it. Not just the physical sounds of the ship. It was so much more than that. Everything was reflected in her form before him. Her heartbeat was the rhythms of the ship, her internal systems pulsing within her. He imagined what it was like for her to personally feel her own systems, her powerful reciprocating engines, her propellers turning the water, and the steam system that supplied her with energy. She was connected to it all. It wasn't just responsible for her movement; it was her very life.

"I feel it..." he breathed. "Your systems as your life and the way it all connects to you, within you. Oh, it's more extraordinary than I ever could've imagined..."

Titanic opened her eyes and looked to Andrews. "That's my being, Thomas." She lifted his hand off of her chest but still held on to it, grasping it in hers, making him open his eyes and meet her gaze. "And I owe it to you. I have so many to thank for this moment, but most of all you. You made this possible. And all of your modesty aside," she continued before he could interrupt, "you should not only be proud of me, but of this accomplishment, your accomplishment, Thomas. Because the same way you feel about me, I also admire and am proud of you."

"Thank you, Titanic," Thomas replied softly. She wrapped her arms around his and leaned slightly against him, her gaze going back out to the vast ocean and sky, and he followed her gaze out to the horizon, both of them perfectly content in that moment.

Then suddenly, something came to Andrews' mind. "I'm sorry..." He moved away from Titanic so that he could take out his pocket watch and check the time. Upon looking at the watch's face, he did a double-take. That much time had passed already? "Hmm, it seems I've lost a little track of the time," he said, stowing the watch back into the pocket of his waistcoat. "My apologies, Titanic. I just realized I must be getting to an afternoon luncheon with Mr. Ismay and some of our distinguished first-class passengers. It would not do for me to be late." He gestured with his hand. "Would you like to accompany me?"

"That's all right, Thomas," replied Titanic. "And I appreciate your offer, but I'll kindly decline." She turned her head to look in the direction of the bow. "I want to go up to the bow to feel the breeze and my speed through the water more directly. Make this as memorable as possible. Afterward, I should probably be returning to my duties and check in with the bridge. I've been absent for too long as it is." She looked back to Andrews and smirked. "Besides, you know I don't eat in this form. I would just be taking up space at the table, surely an insult to the fine chefs aboard."

"I will try to contain my disappointment," Andrews responded with a smile.

"Have a good luncheon, Thomas. I shall see you later this evening, then?"

Andrews inclined his head. "I look forward to it."

Titanic backed up several paces and then turned and began walking away. A little-ways down the deck, she twirled around in a circle mid-stride, making him laugh. She briefly glanced back over her shoulder and waved to him, grinning, before she turned back and resumed her strides.

Andrews watched her as she made her way by some passengers who had come out on deck, and then turned in the opposite direction, smiling to himself as he headed for the first-class dining room.


End file.
